WEBVTT THE EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW.TERRI: DALIA DIPPOLITO'SATTORNEYS THINK SHE'D SPENTENOUGH TIME ON HOUSE ARREST ANDTHE STATE SHOULD IT AGREED TOTHEIR OFFER OF A PLEA DEAL TOSAVE TAXPAYERS THE COST OF ATHIRD TRIAL.BUT THEY SAY THAT'S NOT GOING TOHAPPEN.>> MISS DIPPOLITO HAS SPENTSEVEN YEARS ON THE MOSTRESTRICTIVE HOUSE ARREST.HER RECOMMENDED SENTENCE BASEDON THE PUNISHMENT IS FOUR YEARS, AND WHEN I SAY RIGID HOUSEARREST, SHE COULD LEAVE TO COMETO MY OFFICE, FOR MEDICALAPPOINTMENTS, AND TO CHURCH.WE HAD A PRETTY OPENCONVERSATION WITH THEM.WE ASKED WHAT THEY WERE WILLINGTO OFFER.AND THEY SAID THEY ARE POSITIONHAS NOT CHANGED FROM THEIR OFFERSIX MONTHS AGO.TERRI: DALIA DIPPOLITO'SATTORNEYS SAY THE STATEATTORNEYS OFFICE WOULD ONLYOFFER A PLEA DEAL OF BETWEEN 10AND 20 YEARS, BUT HER LAWYERSSAY SHE MAINTAINS HER INNOCENCEAND SINCE THE STATE COULDN'T GETA CONVICTION IN TWO TRIALALREADY, THEY ARE SURPRISED THEYWOULDN'T NEGOTIATE A BETTERDEAL.>> WE EVEN SUGGESTED FIVE YEARSPROBATION ON TOP OF THE SEVENYEARS SHE'S ALREADY SERVED ANDTHEY WERE UNWILLING TO BUDGE.TERRI: DO YOU THINK IT MIGHT BEBECAUSE THAT TAPE EXISTS THATSHOWS HER NEGOTIATING WITH AMAN SHE BELIEVED TO BE A HITMANTO KILL HER HUSBAND?>> THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION, BUTI DO NOT THINK THAT IS WHY.I'VE HAD MUCH WORSE CASES WITHBODILY INJURY, IPAD MURDER CASESWHERE WE'VE HAD MUCH BETTER PLEANEGOTIATIONS THAN WE'VE HAD HEREAND THOSE WEREN'T NECESSARILYSTRONGER CASES.TERRI: GREG ROSENFELD SAYSDIPPOLITO WANTS TO MOVE FORWARDWITH HER LIFE, AND THAT INCLUDESA NORMAL LIFE WITH THE BABY THEYSAY SHE HAD LAST YEAR.BUT YOU'RE SAYING SHE DOES HAVEA SON?>> MISS DIPPOLITO DOES HAVE ASON.TERRI: AND WHO'S THE FATHER?>> WE'RE NOT GOING TO GET INTOTHAT.TERRI: SOMEONE THAT WASAVAILABLE TO VISIT HER ON HOUSEARREST?>> WE'RE NOT GOING TO ANSWER ANY--TERRI: BUT SHE WAS ON HOUSEARREST WHEN SHE GOT PREGNANT.>> YES.TERRI: WE STILL DO NOT KNOW WHOTHE FATHER OF THAT MYSTERIOUSBABY BOY IS.BUT SOMEONE WHO CAME TO HERHOUSE WHICH HE WAS ON HOUSEARREST.THEY'RE GOING TO ASK FOR ACHANGE OF VENUE ONCE AGAIN.IT WOULD BE THE SAME JUDGE THISTIME AROUND MOST LIKELY, ANDTHEY WILL ALSO ADDRESSED WHETHEROR NOT HER HOUSE ARREST SHOULDBE MODIFIED SO DALIA DIPPOLITOCAN GO TO MORTGAGE -- MORE

The attorneys for murder-for-hire defendant Dalia Dippolito tried to negotiate a plea deal Tuesday with prosecutors to avoid a third trial, but said they were surprised the state wouldn’t budge on a sentence.

“Miss Dippolito has spent seven years on the most restrictive house arrest; her recommended sentence based on the punishment is four years,” said attorney Greg Rosenfeld.

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“And when I say rigid house arrest, she could leave to come to my office, for medical appointments and to church. We had a pretty open conversation with them and asked what they were willing to offer and they said they’re not willing to change from their offer six months ago,” said Rosenfeld.

Rosenfeld said the state would only offer a plea deal of between 10 and 20 years. In her first trial, she was convicted and sentenced to 20 years. That conviction was overturned based on a mistake during jury selection. In her second trial last month, the jury deadlocked. Rosenfeld said three jurors and two alternates all said they thought Dippolito was not guilty.

He said he thought the state would not go to the expense of a third trial, given those two outcomes.

“We even suggested five years probation on top of the seven years she’s already served and they were unwilling to budge,” said Rosenfeld.

When asked if that might be because of the evidence against Dippolito, including an undercover tape of her negotiating with a supposed hitman to kill her husband, Rosenfeld said, “I don’t think so - I’ve had much worse cases with bodily injury, where we’ve had much better plea negotiations than we’ve had here and those weren’t necessarily stronger cases.”

Rosenfeld said Dippolito maintains her innocence and wants to move forward with her life, which now includes a newborn son. That baby was conceived while Dippolito was on house arrest. Rosenfeld said he couldn’t comment on who the father is.

Dippolito will be in court Friday for a status check which will address a possible third trial date, as well as the motion for less restrictive house arrest.